Chalk one up for Obamacare as Pennsylvania joins states in plan

By Russ Britt

The Obama administration scored a major coup in its efforts to get more states to embrace the Affordable Care Act Thursday when Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett agreed to adopt the act’s Medicaid expansion.

Bloomberg

Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican, faces a tough re-election bid.

Pennsylvania, the sixth-biggest state in the U.S. by population, becomes the 27th state to adopt one of Obamacare’s more generous provisions to states, which the federal government funds. The District of Columbia also has adopted the Medicaid expansion

The expansion is designed to pay to put under Medicaid anyone with an income of up to 138% of the federal poverty level, whereas previously, the bar was 100% without the increase. Residents in states that don’t adopt the increase who fall between 100% and 138% of the poverty level face the prospect of not being able to get affordable care, proponents of Obamacare contend.

Pennsylvania, however, is putting its own twist on the expansion by having those with incomes greater than 100% of the poverty level pay a premium of not more than 2% of their income. Copayments will be eliminated.

The state will also offer private coverage options through a program known as Healthy Pennsylvania.

Corbett is a Republican who initially resisted adopting the plan, but now faces a tough re-election fight. Reports say that Corbett appears to be trailing challenger Tom Wolf, with some contending the gap is as much as 25 points.

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